Umskipti Austrvegor Veðr
by Beastial Moon
Summary: Yet another change in the ending of the movie. Everybody's still in character, don't worry! The title is Norse for "A Change in the Wind"...I believe . Rated K   for now, subject to change. Chapter 9 is up! Review please!
1. Chapter 1

**Umskipti Austrvegor Veðr**

**This is my second HTTYD fanfic, this one focusing more on the actual story. The name is Norse for "Change in the Wind" (I think). I've decided to try giving an alternate ending to the Nightmare Battle in the arena. No, Hiccup is not out of character, but he does something unexpected, barely changing from the movie - and yet, it changes the whole course of the story. He gets atop Toothless when his father runs at them. How does that change things? Read on to find out!**

Stoic's raged hammer blow to the cage rang throughout the stadium. No! Hiccup cursed in his head. Thinking it had been tricked, the Nightmare lunged at the first thing it could - which just so happened to be Hiccup's arm. Thor must have given Hiccup some help that moment, because lightning reflexes tore his hand away from the snapping jaws of the dragon. The Nightmare roared in anger, chasing after its prey.

"Hiccup!" he heard Astrid yell. He briefly noticed her break open the gate and run into the arena. She hurtled a hammer from the broken weapon's pile at its head, momentarily knocking it senseless. Then regaining its composition, it went after the one who had attacked it - Astrid. Astrid ran. A gate flew open.

"This way! Hurry!" Stoic yelled at the open gate. Astrid flew into his beefy arms. Hiccup was not so lucky. The Monstrous Nightmare torched the gate walls in a liquid flame, rendering the Viking boy's current escape useless. Suddenly there was the all-too familiar sound of screeching thunder.

"Night Fury!" Gobber shouted. "Get Down!" The chain-link cage burst open in flame, dust filling the stadium. When the dust finally cleared, the Vikings of Berk were amazed to find a Night Fury furiously fighting off the Monstrous Nightmare from Hiccup. Some gasped. "Night Fury!" Gobber repeated in awe.

Finally frightened off, the Nightmare took one last scared look at Toothless, and scampered back into his den. Hiccup jumped up from his position on the stone ground to beside his large head. "All right buddy, go. Go!" he pushed his friend's massive head, refusing to move from it's position. Both of them saw the chief of the Vikings running towards them, vengeful axe in hand.

Hiccup wasn't thinking when he scrambled onto Toothless's back. "No, Dad, he won't hurt you!" he shouted as he got into the saddle. Stoic stopped in his tracks, taking notice of his son atop the beast. "Hiccup? What are you doing?" he asked, a hint of fear in his booming voice. Then he began to notice the riding gear - the saddle, the wing, and the pedal. No, it couldn't be true! It just couldn't! His mind refused to think properly about what he was seeing before him. He started laughing. "Ha-ha! Good job, Hiccup! Quite the excellent trap you've set up here!"

"...Trap?" He replied nervously

"Well, of course! You didn't think I would know it was a trap all along, would you? I know you've wanted to kill dragons all your life... so you caught a Night Fury, pretended to be it's friend so you could betray it here in this arena, with everyone watching!" Stoic kept the same creepily proud smile on his face the whole time he was making up excuses.

"Dad..." Hiccup began

"Here! You can do the honors!" He thrust the axe in his hand to Hiccup, who took it without question. Toothless growled, but quickly quieted down when Hiccup gave him a short scratch behind the ears. He struggled beneath the weight of it, needing to hold one hand on the blade and the other on the handle.

Hiccup eyed the axe for a long time. If he did this, he would be accepted in his tribe. But he would be a murderer. Worse yet, a murderer of his friend. No, he couldn't bring himself to do that. He was aware of Astrid standing beside him. "Do what you have to do." she whispered, barely audible to the two of them. But he heard it just the same. He looked at Astrid, then at the axe, and then finally, into his Father's piercing eyes.

"No." He threw the axe to the ground, clattering on the stone ground in front of Astrid. Both Astrid and Toothless sighed in relief. Well, Astrid sighed, Toothless more of like - purred softly.

Stoic could feel the fear rising. He had never known fear like this before, it was overwhelming. Hiccup felt the need to delve further into the subject.

"No, Dad. I will not kill mercilessly. I will not fuel your hatred towards them, and I will not be you pawn. And I will never, ever, in my darkest nightmares, kill my best friend." There it was, everything out on the table. Whispers and Murmurs were spreading across the arena like wildfire, whispers of betrayal and murmurs of why - why was he doing this? It took Stoic a few seconds to steady himself from this weighty blow to his pride.

"So. You've decided to throw your lot in with them. After they've killed hundreds of our people..."

"And we've killed thousands of them!" Hiccup shouted

"WHICH IS AS IT SHOULD BE!" Stoic roared "I've had it! If you refuse to be one of us, I will -"

"Will WHAT? I've wanted NOTHING my whole life than to be one you guys! You know that, Gobber knows that, everybody here knows that! Then I find Toothless, and I find out that my whole life, my idols, the one's I have been trying to be more like have been feeding a lie! A LIE!"

It was a shouting match, a battle of the wills. Eventually one of them would have to give, and Stoic wasn't backing down. While Hiccup continued his 'speech', Toothless padded over to beside Stoic. Hiccup was sitting straight up on his back, looking down at Stoic.

Hiccup looked up into the crowd, shouting to his people now. "I have seen the truth! About Dragons, about Vikings, about everything! Nothing is the way you think it is!" He looked back down to his father.

"I finally have something to believe in, to fight for. What do you say to that?"

"Hiccup... son... don't make me do this. Please, repent! Stop with these lies!" He pleaded

Hiccup shook his head. "You know I can't Dad. And you are the one lying to yourself." Hiccup caught Astrid's eye. In that split second of their gaze, they both knew what they had to do. It was in both of their expressions, for only a brief moment.

Stoic sighed. "Then you leave me no choice. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, you are hereby banished from the village of Berk until you prove yourself worthy of coming back. Suitably by killing a dragon."

"So be it." Hiccup said softly. With that, Toothless shot off into the sky, piercing through the open cage and into the vast ocean.

"So be it." Stoic repeated to himself sadly. Berk would never be the same again.

**Ok, let me know how you like this first chapter! I'm not exactly sure where I want to go with it yet, but I have some ideas floating in my head. Nothing long or fancy – I hope. These stories have a way of writing themselves. And if my Norse is incorrect, somebody who does know it properly please let me know so I can change it! Thank you, and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Umskipti Austrvegor Veðr**

**Wow! Five reviews in under 4 hours! And even more alerts after that! Thanks guys, keep it up! I'll keep these coming as fast as my imagination will allow. And school. Stupid school. I'll write more on this at the bottom, if you care to read these notes.**

**Any who, the story! Read on, fellow adventurers!**

Chapter Two

Toothless flew until Hiccup was sure they were out of sight. Then he guided his Dragon back down to the cove where Astrid was waiting for them. She was standing on a rock (The one from the movie, right before the Romantic Flight), smiling in relief when she saw them. Toothless didn't see any other Vikings nearby, and he could only smell Astrid. And Fish. Lots of delectable fish.

He landed right in front of them with ease, Hiccup jumping off his back. Astrid hopped down to the ground, and they gave a quick hug. Which quickly became awkward when they had to let go.

"Um, yeah, I uhh… I got to go." Hiccup stammered

"Hiccup, you can't leave! There's other people here who need you!"

"Astrid, I just betrayed the essential part of our Viking traditions, practically spitting on it. Everybody probably hates me right now."

"Now, that's not true. There's plenty of people." Astrid argued

"Name one." He retorted

Astrid was silent. Toothless was eating a pile of fish that was on the ground, as well as watching them go back and forth at each other. It was kind of interesting, actually.

"Th – there's Gobber. He'll need all the help he can get in the shop…"

"He got on fine without me for a long time before I was born. He can do it again. And he won't miss me, he'll side with my Dad. He always does. Try again." He argued

"I'll need you."

Well, that changed things. "You'll get on fine without me. You'll find someone else, and you can take my place in dragon training."

"Hiccup, you know I can't do that. Not after what I've seen."

"You'll have to."

"Face it, Astrid. Nobody wants me here. Maybe I can go to that island again, try and negotiate with the dragon." Hiccup reasoned

"What, are you insane? You'll get killed! How would you possibly negotiate with that colossal thing?"

"I don't know. But I have to try."

"You said that before, and it almost got you killed." Oh, she was definitely getting protective now. Protective and angry.

"But I wasn't." he mused

"Then take me with you."

"What? No way! You have a life here, I don't! Nobody else could care if I died, everybody on the island would come to your funeral if you did. They'd send out search parties for you, and leave me to rot. You're the better Viking, and I'm – nothing. Just nothing."

"Hiccup, that's not true and you know it. You're somebody to me. If you're leaving on this suicide mission, then I'm coming with you."

Dang, she was a good arguer. Hiccup thought. Toothless nudged Hiccup's hand, looking at the both of them and begging. Hiccup could see he wanted her with them.

"Fine. You can come with, but only because Toothless approves. Odin knows why I'm letting you do this…"

Astrid smiled, and followed Hiccup on to Toothless. "Aren't we taking anything?" she asked

"Nope. No weapons, they'll take it as a threat. We'll dump off your axe at a safe location."

For once, Toothless rose gently into the air, his massive wings beating above the thermals. In minutes they were off the island of Berk and bound for the Dragon's Nest.

BERK: IN THE MEAD HALL

Stoic paced furiously about in the hall, Gobber watching while trying to crush a small beetle that kept crawling around his Mead Arm. Finally having enough of the Chief's angered footsteps, he got up and walked over to him.

"Stoic, you can't go beating yourself up over him, and you can't stay mad forever."

"Over who? What are you talking about?" Oh, no, Gobber thought Please let it not have gotten this far…

"Hiccup. Your son. You exiled him for doing something none of us thought, could even possibly imagine doing." He flinched from his friend's angry glare.

"Son, what son? I have no son. My son is dead. He has been bewitched by that Devil. By Thor's Beard, I shall hunt down every last dragon until his name is avenged!"

Gobber sighed "That's not going to do anything. You need to think before you act, Stoic. Doing something drastic and unplanned will only end up with unwanted consequences in the long run."

Stoic glared at him again, but he took in his words just the same. He sighed. "You're right. What happened, Gobber? When I was a young lad, my father told me to bang my head against a rock –"

"So I've heard." Gobber muttered as Stoic continued retelling his tale. "- I knew what I was, what I had to become. Hiccup was never that boy, but when he did so well in Dragon Training, I thought, maybe we could have something to talk about."

"And did you?"

"Well… no. He just seemed awkward, and silent. It was strange, I thought he'd be happy. This was what he had always wanted – wasn't it?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"He did try and say something to me before I left for the nest… it was the night before his training began. And I didn't listen! Oh, Gods! This is all my fault." Realization creeping up on Stoic's emotionally laden face, he sat down from the pain.

"If only I had listened. If only –"

"Now, stop right there, Stoic." Gobber interrupted "It's not your fault, and you know it. Maybe he was meant to be with it. Now, I don't know about you, but I've been thinking and having a dragon as a pet, even a friend, has some pretty good upsides."

"Yeah, but still…"

"And did you ever think about how he even came to meet the beast? My best guess is that he had shot down the Night Fury, and none of us believed him. It's as much as our fault as it is yours. Some things you just can't change."

Stoic sighed. "There's only one thing left to do."

No, no no no no no no… Gobber silently prayed

"Round up the ships. We're going after the Dragon's nest."

"But, Stoic –"

"THAT'S AN ORDER!" Stoic yelled. Gobber flinched.

"All right, Stoic. Have it your way." He walked out into the sunlight, leaving behind a very conflicted Viking chieftain.

**Well, some of the plot seems to be coming together for me. I had written the last chapter on a strike of inspiration, and I think this chapter came out just as well. There will be no new lands explored by Hiccup and Toothless, as far as I know yet. My plot muse only gives me so much at a time. I have a few ideas.**

**Let me know how you like it so far! Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Umskipti Austrvegor Veðr **

**Chapter 3**

**Author's Comments at bottom. Enjoy.**

Toothless flew on above the waters of the endless blue. "Down a little lower buddy," Hiccup encouraged, getting as close to the water as possible. Astrid rearranged herself so she sat backwards to Hiccup, peering through the water for any fish that jumped up. One naïve fish broke the surface of the water, and Astrid caught it midflight.

"I got one!" She yelled back. "That's four so far!"

They had been catching fish like this on their way to the island for an hour or so now. It would usually take them only a few minutes under the speed of a Night Fury, but they both agreed that it would be better to come on the good side of the Red Death (which Hiccup aptly named for its red horns all around its body and torso) than its bad side.

"I think that should be enough. We don't want to come across as total suck ups." Hiccup yelled back through the wind. Astrid turned herself back around, using Hiccup's shoulders for support.

"Ow." He muttered. "Sorry" she apologized, hugging him back around the waist again. She held the small basket of fish in her hand as they went higher into the sky. (A/N: A smaller version of the fish baskets Hiccup carries around in the movie) Eventually they came to the fog bank where no Viking dared to enter for sport. The infamous Hellheim's gate.

"Here we go." Hiccup said quietly. Suddenly, Astrid shouted "Hiccup! Look, behind us!"

Hiccup turned around. All the ships in the village of Berk were heading to the fog. And they weren't very far off, only an hour or so by ship. "My dad's come after the nest!" he proclaimed. "We need to get to the Island first, try and pull off any attacks on their ships. Fly, Toothless!" Toothless complied, shooting off into the murky fog, leaving the Viking sailboats long behind them.

STOIC

Stoic tried to look determined at the bow of the ship. "Port to starboard!" somebody from the back shouted – the captain. Stoic was not seafaring, and he admitted to that. But he did have to remain calm, collected and in control. If the other Vikings took him for a man set on revenge, no one would follow him and there would be chaos everywhere. Gobber, thankfully, was right beside him.

"Say, Stoic. I've been listening around, and some of the crew – not me, of course – have been wondering what the plan is - not me, I know your always the man with the plan, but some of the crew have been wondering if in fact there is a plan at all, and what it might be?" He asked nervously, some of his words jumbling together.

"Find the Nest and take it." Stoic growled.

"Ah. Very good, the old Viking lean-to. Send 'em running. Well." Gobber replied half heartedly. He turned around to see the sea before them. Stoic was focused on something to his left.

"Oh! Would 'ja look a' that!" He nudged his friend with his elbow. Stoic turned around, following Gobber's pointing finger. There, far off in the distance, was the distinct impression of a Night Fury, and two young lads on its back.

"It's Hiccup! And that Hofferson girl, what's she doing with him?" Gobber puzzled

"She's a traitor, too, apparently." Stoic rumbled in anger.

"Now, Stoic, don't be too harsh. They didn't actually go to the nest yet." Just as he spoke, the Dragon and the kids vanished into the fog.

"I could be wrong though…" he continued nervously. Stoic just gave him that angry glare that never seemed to wipe away from his face.

"Follow that Night Fury!" Stoic shouted to the other ships. All the ships followed slowly into the fog, an hour or so behind the speed of the shadow dragon.

It was only a few minutes of fog, and then they were able to see a little better. Distinct impressions of ships and rocks rose up around them. "I was wondering where that went." Gobber said sarcastically, referring to a tall Viking sailboat standing straight up out of the water. Everyone remained tense, not speaking a word.

Suddenly somebody from another ship yelled "Dragon!" and a frenzy quickly broke out. Swords were unsheathed, hammers taken from their limp arm sides, and dragons flying over the ships. A Gronckle started chewing on a masthead. Nadders torched oars, leaving much of the ships wandering freely through the water. Thankfully most of the rocks were behind them.

A group of Terrible Terrors decided to attack Stoic's boat. "Hyah! Back to Hel, you Devils!" Stoic swung his hammer in madness, narrowly missing some of the other Vikings and hitting a few of the Terrors. One of them crawled around Gobber's neck.

"Gobber, quick! Take that thing off your neck!" Stoic ordered, hammer ready to swing.

"Now, wait a moment Stoic. I have an idea."

"No! No, no ideas! We don't need that varmint setting fire to our ships and chewing our wood!"

"Stoic, now listen for a moment. Hiccup 'n Astrid are gonna get farther than us w' tha' dragon o' theirs. I'm starting to think that only the dragons know where the nest IS. Why can't we try and use one to get to the nest as well? Just for the time being, o' course."

Stoic kept his angry stare, but he could see truth in his battle buddy's words. By now, all the other dragons had flown away, probably to steal more sheep that were unprotected on Berk. They needed to get this over with, and as soon as was possible. While he didn't like the thought of teaming up with a Dragon, he realized it was neccesary if he was to reach the Nest. "Alright," he gave in "We'll use this devil to get us to Hel." And with that, he grabbed the tiny Terror off of Gobber's beefy shoulders, another Viking nearby handing him a chain ball. The terror was chained to the ground, unable to fly but able to sense directions.

Stoic turned to face the water. "Onward!" He yelled courageously, forcing them further into the deep.

**Well, this was exciting. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, put on favorites, or put on alerts so far. I thank you heartily for your support. I understand that other fanfics have been put out with a different outcome of events, HOWEVER most of them have Hiccup and Toothless running away only to come back all 'grown up', and Stoic is a forgiving chieftain. OOC FANFICS! For the most part, there are a few good ones – Hitchcups for example – but the overall consensus remains. **

**This fanfic is going to stay true to the feel of the movie, a boy and his dragon, with a little more conflict built in. No other islands, no OC's, no historical characters. I won't give away the ending, but it's the journey that brings them to the ending that makes it memorable. If you're wondering where the other Viking youths are, that will be answered next chapter.**

**Until then, thank you for reading, and review! Flames are appreciated, if you have any.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Umskipti Austrvegor Veðr **

**Chapter 4**

**So, I've decided to let Stoic and co. kick off this chapter, mostly because it'd be really confusing with Hiccup, Astrid and Toothless a few hours ahead of Stoic and the rest of them.**

**HTTYD does not belong to me. It belongs to Cressida Croswell, DreamWorks SGT. and all the many fine, fine people who worked on the film. Now since I said that, I probably won't for the rest of the fic. Deal with it. (JK)**

**STOIC **

The sailing continued through the murk. Never ceasing, never relenting. All of their trust was in a tiny Terror strapped down to the bow of the front ship. Another ship started coming up, neck and neck with both of them. Spitelout was in it, holding two blond haired siblings from fighting each other.

"Well, lookee here." Spitelout said. "We's a got stowaways!"

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut, both of you quit your bickering this instant!" Stoic shouted. Both of them fell into a silent whimper. Stoic had never shouted at them like this before, not ever. He must be really upset.

"I assume Fishlegs and Snotlout are on board as well."

"Yeah, I set them to row duty. They might as well do some work. I was going to let them go when these two -" he jabbed his thumb at them "broke out into an argument over who's a better rower or some nonsense like that."

Tuffnut started to protest, but then seeing Stoic's eyes he fell silent again. "What should I do with them, Chief?" Spitelout asked. At the same time, the boats stopped.

"Chief! We've reached the island!" Gobber said to him. Stoic looked at Gobber, then at Spitelout. "Put all of them in the first wave. We're taking this island!"

Gobber's mouth was all but touching the ground, and even the twins stopped their constant bickering in amazement. They hadn't expected a punishment as severe as that! "S-Stoic, ye can't be serious! The first wave is the most dangerous o' the attacks…"

"Is that an argument?"

"N-no, sir." Gobber replied.

"Good." Stoic coldly turned away, looking out to the buzzing island. He jumped out of the ship, landing rather catlike on the pebbly beach. The noise stopped instantaneously.

"That's odd."Gobber said absently. Stoic stood up, giving the signal to set up the catapults. The ships abandoned, everybody got to work preparing for the Final Battle.

**TOOTHLESS/HICCUP/ASTRID**

Toothless flew into the same volcanic entrance they had entered the night before. Hiccup guided Toothless with ease, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. A Gronkle hovered over the entrance way.

He pulled a small clove of Dragon Nip out of his coat, steadying Toothless. Rubbing the grass against the brown dragon's nose, he sent it deep into a relaxing snooze. Other than that short affair, they made it inside the cave without event.

Toothless landed silently, making not a sound upon his feet. Astrid slid off gracefully, like the warrior woman she was. Hiccup completely fell on his face. The very walls shook with an angry rumble. "Uf." he groaned, dusting himself off. "Shh!" Astrid forced her hand over his mouth.

"Do you want to be heard by that thing?" she seethed through her teeth.

"Yes. Yes I do." he replied a little loudly, taking the fish basket from her hand. Nervously going up to the edge of the endless chasm, he tossed in a fish.

**Who dares disturb me and my peaceful slumber? **The dragon, like Toothless, put words behind the emotions it portrayed. There was no voice, but rather, the essence of the question in the quaking of the walls. It was now or never.

"I, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Viking son of Stoic the Vast, from the Village of Berk."Astrid stifled a giggle. It was so unlike him – his voice, his demeanor. Hiccup shot her a look that clearly said, Don't screw this up, and looked back over the chasm.

"I have come in peace. No killing, no maiming. Just talking." He threw in another fish. The rumbling was dying down. It was still there, reverberating the walls, roof and ground, but it was more of a curious rumble, like Toothless's warble/purr. (Although Toothless would like to be more dragon like and call it a warble, they really are more on the purring end of the spectrum.)

"We stop killing dragons, and fighting back. We also set aside a basket of fish and a sheep weekly. In turn, you call off your attack on the village." The rumbling got louder, vibrating disagreement.

"No, we cannot give any more than that. If we do, we would all perish. I'm looking out for my friends as much as you are your… subjects." he winced. A subject was an underestimate. They were slaves without thought.

The rumbling grew into a growl. The very volcanic base shook. "Hiccup, maybe we should just go…" She whispered. The Red Death apparently had very good ears, though, and heard Astrid. She roared, getting up to her full height to reach the oath-breakers. Hiccup tried to throw in the other fish, only to have it shot back at his face, knocking him backwards.

"Run!" Astrid shouted. They jumped on Toothless, who was already more than prepared to shoot out of there. All the dragons were flying away, far away from the volcanic island. The Night Fury below them was, if possible, more scared than before. "Toothless? Are you okay?" Hiccup asked. They made it out into the open fine and dandy – although the greedy monstrous was seriously pissed.

"Oh, crud." Hiccup groaned. On the shore were the Viking ships. They were already putting together the catapults. The trio flew overhead, trying to avoid being seen. Suddenly with the force only the Gods could best, the very mountainside blew open in rage, the humongous monster blowing it all away. She roared, Vikings quavering. The battle for Berk was about to begin.

**So basically, Hiccup and co. escaped at the same time Stoic and crew were finishing setting up. The other kids were on the ships, trying to get a piece of the action - possibly. Heh heh heh…**

**I'm not sure if this is my best chapter yet, but it's another chapter; and an important one at that. I do so apologize for the wait, but I'm finding it harder and harder to keep them in Character completely. I think I've done it so far, and I plan on doing it the whole way through. Hopefully you all think the same.**

**If you see something, anything, that's off, please inform me! I know there are some good writers reading this! You know who you are! **

**Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Umskipti Austrvegor Veðr**

**Chapter 5**

**Alrightie! We're getting down to the Big Bad Battle for Berk! Will Toothless and Hiccup still make it out? Will Hiccup still lose his leg? Will Stoic put down his stubborn pride and just listen to change for once? Will I even answer all these questions in this chapter? Read on to find out!**

Toothless flew over the ships, trying to spot who was there and who wasn't. "It's like everybody but the Children and Elders have come to the fight!" Astrid declared

"Why would my dad be so bold as to take everybody? Why doesn't he LISTEN? For just once, why can't he -" Hiccup began to rant angrily. So many years of the one-sided relationship with his Father was finally taking its toll.

Astrid cut him off "Hiccup, look out!" she screamed, the three of them narrowly avoiding a fire blast from the Humongous Dragon Queen. The blast continued to smolder every last Viking sailboat, leaving hundreds of them stranded.

"That was close, Hiccup, you need to focus. The dragon is the problem right now. Take me down; I'll join the fight down there."

Hiccup opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again. She was right. He flew over the crowd, hearing a few familiar whoops and yells running after them. He set down in a safe place, a sheltered rock just beyond the reach of the Red Death. He was about to take off again when he saw a small group come running towards them. The rest of the dragon trainees!

"Guys! What are you doing here?" Hiccup shouted, shocked they were in the fight at all.

"We saw - what you – did - with that - Night Fury!" Snotlout panted

"Yeah, it was totally awesome! I had always theorized that a Viking's plus ten intelligence could -" Ruffnut put her hand over his mouth, cutting off his Nerd rant.

"Let's not ruin the moment, Fishy." She rolled her eyes.

"So, what are you doing here?" Astrid asked again

"Like Snot said, we saw what Hiccup did with that Night Fury, and we thought that maybe you were right." Tuffnut explained "We thought, maybe if we used the grass and stuff we found lying around the arena, maybe – well, it worked, and – here, I'll show you."

He whistled, and a Hideous Zippleback came rushing down from the skies above. It landed with a thunderous roar, the other head snapping at it. Tuffnut went up to the one head and started rubbing it, calming it down. "So, we managed to train them on our own. It wasn't easy to get into the cages, but we managed to do it."

The other dragons started coming down as well. A Deadly Nadder who seemed more interested in preening its feathers, a Gronckle that went up and licked Fishlegs in the back, a Monstrous Nightmare that hovered protectively over Snotlout. Astrid went up to the Nadder cautiously. She made the same moves Hiccup made when going up to the Nightmare. The Nadder squawked, jumping back a few feet. Then when it saw it didn't mean to hurt her, she threw Astrid on her back with her large beak. "Woooahh!" Astrid cried, not expecting the sudden flight through the air. She landed a little gracefully, backwards on her. She turned around to face the front, and stroked the Nadder's neck. The Nadder cooed in return.

Hiccup smiled. "Yes! Maybe we have a chance after all!" He exclaimed. "Alright, first things first. Fishlegs, tell me you know something about that Dragon!"

"Um, large thick skull and tail, used for crushing. Stay clear of both. Sense of smell and hearing is probably greatly increased with its limited eyesight."

"Ok, good. Try to annoy it some, if it has increased hearing, then it should bother it twice as much twice as much as a normal dragon, right?"

"Um, in theory, yes." By this time, all the kids were on their respective dragons, ready for takeoff.

"Ok, great. Maybe we can beat this thing. Now go!" Snotlout, Astrid, Fishlegs and the twins all shot off into the air, aiming straight for the queen. Toothless made to follow them, when Hiccup heard a booming voice call him.

"Hiccup!" He looked over to see his father running over to him. Toothless growled, getting into a defensive position. "Shhhhh." Hiccup calmed, rubbing his friend's neck.

"What is it, chief?" he shouted back. He couldn't bring himself to say father, not yet anyhow. "What are you doing here? You don't have to go up there, you'll be killed!" Well, it was nice to know he still cared a little.

"Dad, I'm a Viking. It's an occupational Hazard." Tears shone in Stoic's eyes. "If – if you come through with this plan of yours – I'll take it back. I'll take it all back."

"Thanks, dad." And with that, they soared straight up into the Dragon Fight. "He's up!" Astrid cried out. The rest of them got to work, blasting the humongous Tyrant with their flames. Snotlout and Fishlegs were on either side of its skull, clashing their hammers/axes on to their shields. The queen was quite obviously getting annoyed, and it's eyes started twitching. She raised her club-like tail, making to swat the annoying 'flies'. Fishlegs barely missed getting hit.

"I'm ok!" he shouted "Uh-oh! Losing power on the Gronckle! I'm going doooowwwwwwnnnn!" he screamed, landing upside down below the brown sausage. "Less ok!" came his muffled voice. Hiccup flew down and toothless pulled the unconscious Gronckle off of him. "Thanks!" He called after them.

Snotlout was off his dragon, but he had managed to get onto the beast's skull and was pounding a hammer on its eyes. "Yeah! Want some more of that? There's more where that came from – woooaaahh!" The beast flicked its head, sending Snotlout through the air. He would have fallen to his death, had it not been for Ruffnut and Tuffnut. "We got him!" Ruff cried

"I can't believe that actually worked!" Tuff said surprised. They flew down to the rest of the Vikings to set him down. Some of the Vikings glared at the juvenile delinquents, and others in awe. They flew back to fight before they could hear any insults.

Meanwhile, Toothless had just saved Astrid from falling off her stunned Nadder, setting her down as well. "Go," she whispered, know full well they couldn't hear her. It was just Toothless and Hiccup left.

"Alright. Let's see if this thing has any wings!" Toothless flew high up into the sky, almost invisible now. A screech, like that of a flying banshee, could be heard over the whole island. "Night Fury! Get down!" Gobber cried. The whole crowd of Viking Warriors ducked their heads from the blast. Pssshhhhhhoooowwww! The shot blast was incredibly powerful, knocking the beast off its legs and onto its side.

Hiccup looked back at the Queen. Massive wings were slowly extending from its sides, ripping flesh and stone apart that had been there for several hundred years. "Now let's see if it can use them!" And the chase began. Over rocks, under rocks, between rocks, everywhere rocks, rocks, rocks and more rocks. It was just like going through the Fog Maze again. And everywhere, the bestial Dragon Queen was smashing through all of them, not losing any momentum. In fact, it seemed to be gaining. Cheers could be heard from the Vikings on the island as they flew through obstacle after obstacle.

"Ok, buddy. Time to disappear!" They flew straight off into the clouds, far above the sight of everybody on the ground. By now, most of the dragons had recuperated at least somewhat (The Nadder was still disoriented from the blow to her head after the long fall), and were roaring cheers to Toothless.

The queen followed them up into the cloud bank, narrowly missing them with a stream of fire. Alone in the elements, what would soon follow could only be described as terrifying.

**And Scene! Hahaha! Part two of the fight to come soon! Wow, longest chapter I've ever written for a story… 1,354 words! Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Umskipti Austrvegor Veðr  
Chapter 6**

**Part two of the Battle! When we last left off, Hiccup and Toothless were in the sky, with the Red Death right on their tailfins. I'll write more on this at the bottom.**

Hiccup flew up, up and ever up. The darkness increased, to the point where neither party could see. This was not night-darkness; this was cloud-darkness - a sickening blindness physically inhibiting their eyesight. The Red Death, in all its aging wisdom, failed to take their hearing into account. It roared in anger, announcing where it was to its hunters. A screech, a flash of light, burns on the wings. Head. Legs. Flame Blast after Flame Blast pummeled the monstrous demon, but still it would not budge. Perhaps there was a bit of stubborn Viking in itself. Then again, it could just be immune to fire blasts.

Finally becoming pissed enough to shoot flames in such close and dangerous quarters, the demon spewed its might red breath all around. A massive Omni-blast that looked easy to avoid from far away, but in such close proximity was extremely hard. The Red Death chuckled evilly to itself, seeing the damaged tail fin on the lone Night Fury. He roared in rage, and fear for his rider. The battle raged on.

BELOW

Stoic could only watch in fear. It had been bad enough he had to banish his own son, now he was going to watch him die for the village he was disowned from. It made his chest ache painfully – he wasn't scared, just worried. A Viking is never scared. And he had never even had the chance to properly apologize for the trouble he had caused.

He still thought it was that Dragon's fault. If that Black Devil hadn't shown up, none of this would have happened, the Chieftain thought angrily to himself. He's taken over my son's mind, he thought. Hiccup must be helped. If he made it through this alive, that was.

Stoic watched patiently, anxiously, while the roar of the Vikings and Dragons around him seemed to encourage him. Some of the Vikings had also taken a liking to some of the Dragons – they must be sick as well. It was spreading like wildfire. Well, he would remain immune to this disease. He was stubborn, and for once it wasn't an issue.

The fight continued. He watched from below, the seconds like days, the days like months, and the months an eternity of Hel. He watched as the black dragon plummeted straight down to the earth, with the Red Death right on their tail. And all he could do was watch in horror as the Queen fell, taking His son and the black dragon with her.

IN THE SKY

There was one last move they could try. Hiccup and Toothless dove, heading straight for the earth. Red saw them, roaring its frustration at the much smaller creatures. Hiccup could feel the heat of the green smoke bellowing out its mouth, preparing to flame.

"Hold." Hiccup said quietly, urging Toothless to do the same. Wind blew past them, making it hard to hear anything, hard to see the ground miles below them. Then, just as the Queen began to let loose, Hiccup turned them around.

"GO!" He shouted, Toothless releasing the pent up energy from his throat. The shot blast went in with a small explosion, a mere flash of light. But then when the Demon spread her wings to stop falling, the wings tore open. Flames crept across the canvas of leather. The Red Death roared in fear, in anger, in resentment toward Vikings, and most of all, towards the Night Fury Toothless.

Her head, being angled perpendicular with the earth, was the first to hit, crumpling under the weight of gravity and the rest of her body. She willed one last final act before she died. She twitched her tail, sending it over the rest of her body.

Hiccup and Toothless were already struggling to get out of the fiery apocalyptic furnace they had created. The flames grew too much, and the leather tail burnt to pieces. "No! No, no no no no!" Hiccup screamed in horror. Toothless was struggling just to fly in a straight line, and then they saw it. The club-like tail smashed them, breaking their bond apart, both of them falling to the earth. This time, Hiccup was completely and irreversibly unconscious. Toothless was left alone to fly after his rider, shielding him from the flames that tore his skin. And everything went black.

STOIC

Stoic searched desperately for his son. "Hiccup! Hiccup! Son!" He cried out, the white ashes tearing at his clothes. He could hear the others following behind him, mournfully. The ash cleared. Stones and bones ripped apart the island shore. Finally, after hours of searching, he found them. Or rather, him. The Black Beast lay alone on its side, eyes closed. The saddle was empty. Oh, gods… Stoic ran up to the dragon.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered to Hiccup. Which was true, he was sorry this beast had taken a hold of his son, destroying his life and taking everything he held dear from Stoic. If he had only paid a bit more attention, if only he had been there, he could have saved Hiccup from his fate.

The dragon opened his eyes. Noticing the Chief's solemn regret, and taking it for something else entirely, he unfurled his massive wings, revealing a lifeless Hiccup. Stoic grabbed his shoulders, throwing his helmet to the wayside. He put his head up to his chest. Please, Odin… he prayed silently.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

"Oh, Thank the Gods! You've brought 'im back alive! He's alive!" He smiled in joy. "It's okay, Hiccup. I'm going to make everything better." He handed him off to Gobber.

"He's gonna be in a bit of a nasty shock when he wakes up," Gobber said, gesturing to the boys legs. Stoic just glared at him. But this glare was different; it was a glare of gratitude. Gobber would take good care of him. He watched him lumber off with his son to the Healer.

Stoic stood up. The Night Fury wasn't going anywhere, not right now at any rate. He was out stone cold. First things first, he had to get all the Vikings back to Berk. Then he would deal with the devil. He would set his son free, if it was the last thing he did.

"Let's Go! Get to work, we need to rebuild the ships! Move it!" He shouted, moving off into the crowd. It would take a while, but they would do it. There were a few ships that weren't completely ruined from the fire blast, and they would do for taking them home. The battle was over, and the reconstruction began.

Stoic watched all of them. The teens were running wood from damaged ships to repaired ships, the dragons spat off huffs of flame on to the water logged wood. Just enough to dry it, not enough to burn it. Stoic had to admit, Gobber and Hiccup were right. There were some upsides to having a dragon on your side. He quickly, angrily, pushed the thought from his mind. As if those blasphemous traitors weren't enough, they were turning him into one too!

It took well into the night, but they managed to repair some of the ships to head back. Hopefully the dragons would stay. Stoic climbed aboard one ship, heading towards Gobber and the Healer. He was still unconscious, but he definitely looked better. Stoic smiled.

They were going home.

**Alright, new chapter! I apologize for splitting the battle into two parts, but I didn't want the chapters to get TOO long. My max words per chap right now is somewhere around 1500. I know that so far, this seems like just a different way the movie could have gone, but it's for a reason! Some of the parts of the movie are just too good to mess with, so I've recreated them as well as adding a whole different ending on to it. Just wait until they get back to Berk… then Stoic really comes out! I hope you all keep reading this, and please, review and tell me what you think!**

**Beastialmoon out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**UAV Chapter 7**

**I'm not even going to bother apologizing. You're all fellow Fanfictioners, you know how busy life can get.**

**I did not expect this to take longer than five chapters, seriously. I'm taking this way to hard! I blame it all on reviews and my Dragon Muse, who is currently smothering me with ideas. Gah! I'll never get them all up! D: I understand that 'in-character' means he also has to have a change of heart towards the dragons at the end, BUT I'm going to try and portray Stoic from a more Stubborn/Rough 'n' Tough/Loving Viking he was at the beginning of the movie. And better yet, he's so much fun to write! **

**Well, random banters aside, the story continues! What does Stoic have planned for Toothless? Stay tuned!**

**I do not own HTTYD or any related sub-titles. The plot is just barely my own. Hey, fancy that, I put up a disclaimer more than once in a story!**

**STOIC**

Stoic carried his son out of the boat. The black devil followed behind him every step of the way. Was the dragon actually worried? No, no! It was just a beast, a dumb animal. How could it be worried? Still, he couldn't shake the feeling. And those big, green eyes... full of light and intelligence. He wasn't like the other dragons - it was plain to see. Even the very way he was created was almost mammalian, rather than reptilian like the other beasts.

Stoic laid Hiccup in his bed, still unconscious from the heavy blow. The Healer - also the Elder of their little village - said he probably wouldn't wake up for a few days. If he did wake up, it would only be for a short while. It was going to be a painful week for the burly man. He sat down onto a chair that was much too small for him. He knew he had to keep his promise, but how? He looked over to the dragon, who was curled up by the fire. It was waiting. Large, emerald eyes that never left Hiccup's bed. Or Stoic.

Finally, he sighed and got out of the chair. He walked outside, with a sight to behold before his eyes. Already Vikings and Dragons were mixing, like puppies and children. (Imagine the scene from the end of the movie when Hiccup finally sees the village again - that's pretty much what Stoic's seeing.)It was sad to see their village in such a corrupt way. He knew there were a strong few who were not yet taken by their dark magicks - his brother, Spitelout, Valhallmara's family and Astrid's Parents, just to name a few.

Spitelout stood beside Stoic, waiting for orders. "Stoic, something has to be done. And quickly. Too many of the Vikings have already succumbed. Even I find myself wondering, were we wrong? Were we wrong, all this time? Now that that thing is dead, there hasn't been a single attack on our sheep."

"It's only a matter of time," growled Stoic. "Find all the men you can that haven't taken to a dragon."

"Aye, Chief." He ran off, yelling at a terror and kicking it as he passed by. Stoic sighed. Now, for that dragon... "Astrid!" he yelled to the young Viking Woman.

She swung her axe over her shoulder, running up to him. "Yes, Stoic?"

"Take Hiccup to your house. I've some - work - to do in here and he shouldn't be around, even if he's unconscious."

"Oh, um, alright." Astrid was full of questions - why? being number one. But this was Chief Stoic, so she bit her tongue. Ouch. She walked into the room, spotting Hiccup and Toothless sleeping. "It's going to be fine" she whispered, more to herself than anybody else. Slowly, with the gentle precision of a goddess, she picked him up and took her to her house, not knowing the true reason behind Stoic's demands.

Once Stoic was sure she was well away, he walked into the house. His eyes seemed to gaze over, and his very footfalls were rigid and forced. Here he was, the Best Viking Berk has ever seen, in the same room as the most feared Dragon Berk has ever known. He reached for an axe by the doorside - nearly taking it - and then changed his mind. The beast could still be of use. He grabbed for the shackles instead. As quiet as he could, he walked up to the Dragon. Darkness fell across the room.

**Fade to Astrid's House**

Astrid busied herself around the house. Her parents were out, Spitelout had told them that they were wanted at the Mead Hall. She whistled to herself, an icelandic tune her grandmother had taught her. She heard a groan behind her.

"Oh, good, you're up." She told the boy on the bed. Hiccup just stared. "W - what's going on?"

"Oh, nothing much. Stoic's redoing the house so he told me to bring you here. I think they're making an add-on for toothless."

"Oh. That's - good. I guess." Hiccup wasn't entirely sure what to think. Would his father really do that? It seemed so unlike shrugged. "When should I be back?" he asked

"Hopefully as soon as you get better. You stink." She wrinkled up her nose in a teasing fashion. "Thanks," Hiccup grumbled. Astrid laughed. "Hold on, I'll go ask him." She got up and walked outside, running over to Hiccup's house.

She stopped just outside. She raised her hand to knock, when a deep voice echoed inside. "No! We must do this! It's the only way we'll be free of the curse!"

"Stoic, no one said this was a curse. What if it's a blessing? What if, finally, the war was over?"

"Then it's a curse! I'd rather die than have those filth rampaging through my village!"

Astrid bit her lip. It was definitely not a good time to come in. Anger came over her. Stoic had lied to her! Of all the dirty, rotten... those Haddocks are nothing but a bunch of selfish liars! She went around to the side of the house to see if she could see who all was there. Spitelout, Her parents, and Stoic. There were a few others, including Ack, the twins' Dad, and the Village Elder. Ack seemed to be the one voicing the hope that the war was over. Spitelout seemed to agree with Stoic on just about everything. And the rest of them just looked incredibly unsure of themselves and uncomfortable to be in the room. Then, she noticed him.

Chained in the dark crevasse of the corner, the former majestically untamed Night Fury was crooning softly. He had a few scars from a recent fight all along his back and neck, and one right above his right eye. He was still flightless, as Hiccup's only make of the tailfin had burned away in the destruction of the Red Death. Green eyes looked up at stoic in Hatred, little slits that refused to widen. She clicked her teeth softly, knowing that the dragon had higher hearing than the humans. None of the Vikings heard it, but Toothless did. He looked out the window, pupils finally dilating in surprise. She put a finger to her lips, and crept out of sight.

Toothless crooned again, curiously. Where did the she-Viking Go? She and Hiccup were the only two he could truly trust – although Hiccup was the only one he dared to call a Nest-Brother. He heard a soft creak behind him. He turned his right ear flap towards the noise. It was the girl, freeing him! She came into his peripheral eyesight. He started to roar in happiness, but she put a hand over his mouth. "Shh." She whispered. Just a little longer…

Stoic continued on. "It's agreed, then? We're taking back my Village!" The rest of them cheered in approval.

None of them noticed the disappearance of a certain black dragon.

**Hey, thanks for reading! It took a long time to get this one up – far longer than I expected. It's kind of hard to keep them in character now that they're out of the basic movie plot. Feel free to review. Any at all, please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Before I start, I have one thing to say. **

**NO, THEY'RE NOT LEAVING!**

**You may now read.**

Chapter 8

It took Astrid a while to get Toothless to follow her and not make a racket. How did Hiccup manage keeping him secret for so long? She grunted in exasperation, coaxing him with a fish. Eventually, they got to the cove.

"Please, Toothless. You have to STAY HERE. I'll be back with Hiccup as soon as I can." Toothless moaned/growled in protest, but slumped down anyway. Astrid was the only one other than Hiccup he could trust so far.

Astrid ran back to her house, only to find that Hiccup had gone back to sleep. This was going to complicate matters. She cursed to herself, barely audible as a thought.

What to do, what to do? She paced around for a little, finally deciding on the inevitable. She would have to carry him. She grunted to herself, hoisting his limp form over her shoulders. Gaining momentum, she started tilting backwards. "Woah, woah, woah!" she shouted. The two of them crashed to the floor. Snotlout burst in the door.

"Woah, what's going on?" He helped Astrid off a still unconscious Hiccup. "Snotlout!" She jumped. "Help me get him out of here!"

"Wait, what's going on?" Snotlout asked. Being deprived of knowledge was not exactly something he liked. "Just do as I tell you!" Astrid grunted. They had barely taken him twenty paces out the door when Stoic stepped in their tracks.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked, his voice seeming a tad gruffer than normal.

"Um, just to the beach. We thought a bit of sun might help him." Astrid saw a glint of green in the darkness to her left. Toothless had disobeyed and followed her back. Although, she mused, that's not entirely a bad thing.

"Really? Cuz' I had no idea -" Astrid placed her hand over his mouth. "We'll just be going." They tried to edge around him.

"Ohhh, no you don't. You're coming back with me." Astrid gulped. "No, I really don't think so…"

Stoic's face went red. Rarely was it that he was directly talked back to, disobeyed.

"ARRRRGGHH!" He shouted, grabbing his hammer. A monstrous rage came over him, swinging in madness left and right. The time for discussion was over. He was going to take down the devils it was the last thing he did. He would rather die than see them take over his village! Why couldn't they see what a nuisance they were?

"Stoic! What're ye doing?" Shouted Gobber, rushing over. The Terror he had rescued from Stoic on the ships followed behind, flying in loops. He got hit in the gut, forcing him back quite a bit and onto his back. "Unnnhhh," He groaned. "Benny!" Gobber shouted. 'Benny' coughed, got up and walked a little bit before collapsing.

"Stoic, ye've gone mad!" Snotlout declared. At about this point, Hiccup was coming to. All the screaming and yelling… what was going on? He blinked a few times. Nobody noticed him, they had left to try and calm down their chief.

"I don't care if I'm as crazy as the beardless BaboonHead, I'm getting rid of those dragons!" he bellowed unmercifully

His blows finally met a mark – the stone statue in the center of the village. At the top it was like a giant bowl, keeping plenty of fish for the dragons. It tittered on the brink of destruction.

"Dad, stop! You don't know what you're doing!" Hiccup shouted. Stoic stopped for a few seconds to see who it was that had uttered such nonsense. Hiccup finally got a good look at his father and chief. His hair was matted and sticking out in several directions. His eyes were blood shot and dilated. Pure anger emanated from his being.

"Dad... Dad, please don't do this." Hiccup held out his hands like he would calm a dragon. Perhaps he was calming a dragon... a dragon is , in all essence, the thing that made Vikings quake in their boots for three hundred years. If that was the case, then Hiccup was facing a dragon, and the dragon was his father. A most terrible beast, man. More destructive than all the fires of the Dragon's Nest combined.

There was a long pause, nobody speaking, nobody moving. Just the slow, shallow breathing of the two of them. Toothless trotted up behind Hiccup. "Toothless, I told you to stay put!" Astrid declared. She sighed. Nothing could beat a dragon - they stood a chance. A small crowd was forming now, split directly down the middle of the village. On one half, backs to the docks, stood Hiccup, Toothless, Gobber, and everyone who agreed with the new ways. On the other side of the feeding statue were Stoic, Spitelout, Astrid's Parents, and everyone who loathed Dragons.

"So. It's come down to this. Our village, split in two."Stoic voiced softly, yet teeming with emotion.

"Like a certain rock!" Gobber shouted. Stoic glared at him.

"Hand over the dragon... now."

"Or what? You'll kill me? Would you do that to defend your pride?"

"I - I -" Stoic stuttered. He knew he was well capable of it, and if he was pushed too far, he would do exactly that. He was a monster. He threw his hammer at the base of the statue in rage. "RRRAAAGGGHH!" He screamed, the voice piercing the winds of Valhalla itself. The blunt end of the hammer made contact with the stone, shaking the base and simply shattering the top of the sculpture. The bowl erupted from its roots, tottering forward on the brink of the statue. Then, it fell.

Stoic could only watch in horror, his eyes growing as large as Saucer Plates. "Odin…" He whispered. The shadow was falling, closer now… death was inevitable…

Something drove into his side! He gasped for breath, the wind shoved out of him. Gasps went up around. What just happened? He got up groggily to his feet. His eyes were moist and no longer blood shot. The village was as silent as a grave. What was going on?

He looked into his son's eyes, but they were not focused on him. Instead, they were centered on the bowl that had nearly crushed him. Upside down, the black form of Toothless stuck out underneath it, the concrete driving him into the ground.

**And scene! My word, I'm so evil! Ahahahahaha! So… it hasn't been too long since I updated, has it? Eh. Personally, I liked writing this chapter. Especially the end part with Stoic. Review – but please, don't ask if Toothless is dead or not. I will not divulge restricted information until it is absolutely necessary, I.E., until I put up the next chapter. Review; Adieu!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Mostly reflections in this one, no real action. Actually, nobody even has any speaking lines either.**

Enjoy.

Stoic couldn't stand it.

His emotions were running amok, prisoners of pain left rampant without their warden. The pain he felt at the death of Valhalmara and the pain at the near loss of his son were conflicting fiercely with each other. On one hand, they had been responsible for so much death and destruction in their village… but then again, hadn't they as well? Hiccup did have a point; they killed more than any animal. Because animals – and dragons, he supposed – only kill out of necessity, or when they feel a threat. Humans, especially Vikings, hunt for sport. A few days ago, he would have loved to see that confident Night Fury's head plastered to a wall.

Now all he could think about was the worry that it wasn't going to live.

Bones were crushed, and the tail was so twisted that the elder/healer had to break bones just to get them to heal straight. While it had withstood most of the damage, and any of the other dragons could have taken it, this was different. Nobody had dropped anything on a Night Fury before. There was a first time for everything, as the saying goes. Everything was unknown, in the hands of the Gods now.

Stoic stood outside the house, watching his son not eat for days and then go to bed hungry. He just sat there, watching with expectant eyes every chest rise, every chest fall. Did he notice his father watching? Perhaps – it was hard to tell, especially when he never gave any acknowledgment to anybody. Astrid and Gobber were coldly ignored too. It was frustrating on all of them, but they would have to deal with it. At one point, Astrid had dragged him out of the house and they went for a walk. It seemed to do him a bit of good, getting some strength back into his bones.

They ended up at the cove, and what strength he had gained went away. He didn't cry, but he went on unaware of everything around him. He walked around a black pile of ash, danced deftly through a muddy trail of random dirt lines, climbed rocks to a mass of dragon nip… all completely unaware.

He was depressed; there was no doubt about it. Astrid was severely worried for him, but the only thing to do was to just wait and hope Toothless healed. Once he was up, the two of them would be normal again and they'd be up in the air in no time.

The weeks went by. "This must be what he felt when I wouldn't wake up." Hiccup thought to himself. He wasn't completely depressed all the time, in fact, sometimes he would just sit and watch his buddy's hypnotic body patterns, thinking deeply about his situation. Why had he done it? It didn't make any sense… Stoic had been a threat to him, was trying to kill him. Why would he save him from the stone bowl?

Out of the goodness of his heart? Did dragons even have a 'heart'? No, there was more to it. Maybe he remembered the last time he had defended his father from Toothless, and Toothless was just repaying him. That could be it, but he'd have to think a little more. He knew Dragons have a heightened sense of smell, maybe he smelled the connection between him and his father.

Or maybe, somehow deep in those pools of deep green intelligent eyes, hid the knowledge that Stoic was just as important to Hiccup as Toothless was, and without either he wouldn't be whole to the other. It was quite obvious in the way he was reacting to Toothless. Could he react the same way to his father if he was sick, or worse, dying?

The scary part was, he probably wouldn't. They were nowhere near as close as the bond he and Toothless had together. Sure, he'd cry, he'd feel all mopey for a while, but then he'd get right on with leading the village. Without Toothless, he was empty. Soul mates? Perhaps – Soul mates don't have to mean you find your one true love. You can find one, but not the other. It was rare that somebody did find both, and he should count himself lucky. He had Astrid and Toothless, love and Soul Mate.

Time, as it always does, healed them. Stoic started associating himself with the Terrors on the far side of the island, where nobody else could see him (except Astrid and co. because they needed something to laugh at behind bushes). They crawled on him, they purred around him, begged for fish… not once did they bite him or try to set him on fire. In fact, he had once seen two of them fight over a spot next to him! It was quite fascinating, really.

His son had won over, Valhalmara's death subduing in his mind. It was all a big misunderstanding, after all. Hiccup had been right all along. Oh, what a fool he had been! He wished he could tell him, but it could be months before they were whole again. He sighed with regret.

The healer told them that Toothless was going to be fine; he just needed to stay there, resting so his body can heal. Hiccup still refused to move from the house.

The two of them were going to get better.

Eventually.

**Such a short chapter. They're on their way to healing! Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Last chapter, enjoy.**

Hiccup woke up with a sore neck. His back had been crammed into the small uncomfortable chair all night, and now he could barely move. Oh, gods it hurt! *CRACK!* Ah. There, much better. He looked at Toothless's sleeping form, only to find him not asleep.

"Toothless! You're awake!" Hiccup hugged his scale buddy. "Mrr!" Toothless warbled happily and licked the side of his face. "Hahahaha! Ok, let's see if you can get up." Hiccup slid off of him, giving Toothless enough wing room. Toothless stood up, cautiously at first and then with more confidence. "It's going to be okay, buddy. Everything's going to be just fine." Hiccup said surely.

A loud rapturous knock sounded on the door. "C-can I come in?" Came his father's gruff voice. The pair looked at each other, as if talking through eyes alone. Hiccup picked himself up, bracing himself.

"Yeah, come on in." The door creaked open slowly, revealing Stoic. He appeared humbled, more subdued than he had ever been in the long years Hiccup had known him. He looked at Toothless, then at Hiccup. Toothless growled a slight bit, and Hiccup jumped a few inches. Toothless laughed in his strange, dragon-y way. "Right. Um, I see Toothless is recovering."

"Yeah, I think he'll be fine." Toothless nudged Hiccup's knee, moving them closer to each other. "Well, that's good. Yeah, that's very good." Stoic watched the Night Fury. "Why did you do that? Why save me when all I wanted to do was to kill you off?"

There was silence, the tension in the room very high. Toothless moved away from Hiccup, and into Stoic's large beefy hands, pushing his nose into it. "W-what is he…?" Stoic asked nervously. If that dragon bit his hand off…

"It's a sign of Trust, I think. I've been thinking about this for a long, long time dad, and I think he understands that we're family. He'll protect you just as he would me, or Astrid." Hiccup explained

Stoic looked at the dragon's face. Large, green expectant eyes with large pupils fixated on him, seeming to say, "This is my life I trust to you. Do not try and break it again." Toothless snorted, and he walked back to go outside. He needed some fresh air.

Hiccup made to follow him, but Stoic stopped him with a gentle hand over his shoulder. "Son. I'm so very, very sorry for all the grief that I've caused you."

Hiccup just looked at him, eyes full of forgiveness. "Its okay, Dad. We're all still here. Nothing's changed."

"No, not yet. But I realized how selfish I was being. A true Viking chief puts the Village first. You did that when you defeated the Red Death, I did not. I continued to outcast Dragons and created countless rivalries between Neighbors, and most of all I hurt you. I can't bear to have it happen again." He definitely sounded remorseful. Hiccup continued to look at the floor.

"So, as of tonight, I'm stepping down." Hiccup froze, his face snapping up and catching his Father's. "What?" He said, this unexpected turn of events turning his every fiber to Stoic's attention.

"It seems that I am no longer fit to lead Berk. This is a new Berk, Hiccup, and I can't be a part of it. Leastways, I can no longer be Chief."

"But who will be Chief after you?"

"It's not obvious? It's you, Hiccup. I'm making you Chief of Berk. As of tonight, you will be."

"No, no! Dad, don't do this, don't step down! I'm not ready, I need more time, I'm not ready, I'm…" Stoic silenced him. "You'll do fine. I saw how you lead your friends into battle against that monster, and I watched as you gathered people to help you to protect the Dragons. You're a natural, Hiccup."

"Natural what, leader? You can't be serious; I couldn't lead a tribe of Cannibalistic Codfish!" Hiccup tried to back out of it, but his vast father was firmly set in the idea.

"Hiccup, they wouldn't follow you if they didn't think you knew what you were doing. And most of the time, you do. You have that spark of Leadership that made your forefather the first Chieftain of Berk, and it is inside you. Let it out, Hiccup. Lead them."

Hiccup just looked down at his feet. "I-I guess I can start tomorrow morning."

"Good. Now, I'll be off, I need to start the preparations. This sort of event doesn't happen often in our history." Stoic pushed his helmet down on his forehead and walked back out the front door. Hiccup fell back onto his bed. How was he going to do this? He looked out the back door to find Toothless staring at him expectantly, the saddle in his mouth. "All right, buddy, I'm coming." Hiccup smiled. He needed this; it would clear both their heads and keep them back on track.

A few hours later, they set down at the base of Stoic's hut. "The ceremony is just about underway, I think. Time to get going." Hiccup whispered. They walked in through the crowd, people courteously getting out of their way. Dragons were off having their own party, away from the humans so they didn't hurt anyone accidentally. Quite a few of the appeared intoxicated, and it was quite the hilarious sight to behold. Even Hiccup found himself giggling at some of his friends, and the dragons, antics. Hopefully Toothless wouldn't get like that…

Stoic was getting up onto the "Stage", the front porch in front of his house. Hiccup walked up to him, taking a seat behind him. Stoic held out his arms to calm everybody down. By his side was his trusty hammer. "All right, all right. I'm sure we've all had a great time tonight. But that's not why we're here."

"Well, what are we here for?" Snotlout shouted "You didn't tell them?" Hiccup asked

"Well, I sort of wanted it to be a surprise…" Hiccup groaned.

"As you all know, recent events have drastically changed our small village. Dragons, our former enemies, are now allies, and – dare I say it – family as well.

"You also know that for a brief time, I went mad with anger trying to expel the dragons from our lands after Hiccup had shown everyone they weren't a threat. I am ashamed of my actions, and am not fit to bear the title of Chief."

An audible gasp was heard from the crowd. "What is he doing?" people whispered. "Hiccup, step forward." Stoic proclaimed

Hiccup walked nervously out of his spot in the shadows. He noticed the hammer was now in his hands. "Hiccup, I come before you, humbled. Will you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, lead Berk, through times of joy and prosperity and out of pain, and protect the village no matter what, even if it costs you your life?" Stoic's eyes pierced through Hiccup's soul.

"Y-y-yes. I shall."

"Then I hereby name you Hiccup the DragonTamer, the next Chief of Berk!" Hiccup looked out to the crowd. They cheered his name. Maybe there was something to this leadership thing.

It was a grand night. Some of the Dragons, spurred on by Toothless, put on a fantastical display of flame, flight and sound. Roars of joy from both animal and beast held the forest for a long time.

The next morning, Hiccup woke up to find Toothless watching him. He smiled, almost hopping out of bed. Toothless had slept in the saddle overnight, so it was already on him. He wiggled down as close as he could to the ground, a signal for Hiccup to climb aboard. Hiccup smiled, and complied with his friend's wishes. Toothless walked out the door with his rider on his back.

Astrid, Snotlout, and the rest of the gang were all there waiting for him. "Well, Chief, we've got a lot of work to do." Astrid forced a list of things that would need to be done throughout the village. Hiccup looked down at it, looking it over thoroughly.

"What are we doing first, Chief?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup smiled. "Please, don't call me Chief. It's still Hiccup. And the first thing we're going to do is work on the new Dragon Training stadium. That's going to need some changes from how it used to be."

"Why don't we have some fun on the way there?" Snotlout asked

"How so?" Astrid asked in turn

"Last one there cleans the Dragon Stalls for a week!" Fishlegs offered

"You're on!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut agreed. "Well, in that case…" Hiccup grinned at them. Toothless shot off into the sky, the other dragons following right behind him. They flew under and over bridges, around trees, over houses, having a fantastic time flying to the Stadium.

_This is Berk,_ Hiccup thought; _it snows nine months out of the year, and hails the other three. Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless._ They flew over Stoic, who gave them a hearty hand wave and his booming laughter followed them. _The people that grow here are even more so. Still, the only upsides are the pets. While most places have Ponies, or Parrots, we have…_

Toothless's scream filled the air, the sound of a new era dawning and new hope rising.

… _Dragons._

**And it is DONE! Ha-ha, hope you all enjoyed it as much as I have! I wanted to end it off with Hiccup starting his new job, but I also wanted to keep the end of the movie as well. I think I did well in combining the two of them. Do you think it was a bad choice to have Stoic step down? Do you think Hiccup will make a good leader? Reviews please!**


End file.
